BALI 100 KM (Book 1) ✔

Chapter 40

Everyone followed Bandu into the room and set their belongings aside in a corner. Meanwhile, Sukhi helped her mother to a bed to rest her severely aching legs. Sukhi sprawled on the floor, resting her back on the bed. Bandu, who had gone into the kitchen, brought out glasses filled with water to replenish their thirst.

Soon there was a knock on the door.

"Bandu bhaiya, Bandu bhaiya," it was Maithili.

"Yes, Maithili, do come inside," Bandu answered.

She entered and scanned the crowd with surprise.

"Bandu bhaiya, you have guests. Of course, I do know Nand," She commented, coming straight to the point.

'This is Nand's family," Bandu blurted and introduced each one of them.

"Oh, how wonderful Bandu you found Nand's family! I am so happy for him," she exclaimed happily.

"Where did you find them?"

"At Bali, Nand remembered his way home, "he answered, too tired to elaborate, "Maithili, I presume you came here to tell me something important." Bandu reminded her.

"Yes, of course. Samar was here in the morning and waited for you for a long time and then left, saying he would be back again tomorrow morning. He was worried about you."

"Ok..." was he worried I was hurt or if I had run away Bandu mused over in his mind.

"So Nand will be leaving us. I will miss you, Nand. You were a good lad," she said sadly.

"He is going to stay here with me, Maithili, and his family too," that seemed to surprise her.

"But why would they stay with you, bhaiya? Do they not have a home to go to?" she asked sadly.

"No, they do have a home Maithili. But isn't it better that my family stayed with me where I can take better care of them?" Bandu said casually.

"Your family?! You said they were Nand's family." Maithili said with a confused frown now appearing on her face.

"You see, Maithili, Nand is my nephew. And this is my mother and my elder sister. I had left home during childhood and now have met up with them with god's grace," Bandu finally had to reveal the truth.

Maithili stood there looking stupefied for a few moments but felt embarrassed at her reaction and greeted Bandu's mother and sister warmly and left after assuring them of any help if required.

Bandu refused his family's help in the kitchen and went about preparing dinner for them. Nand and his sister fell asleep on Bandu's bed. Bandu was a happy man today, seeing his family together again.

By dinner, they had another visitor in Partho who, too, was introduced to his family. His reaction, too, was one of shock and awe. Bandu had a problem which he discussed with Partho.

"What do I do about Samar? Will he adjust himself in my house?" Bandu stated.

"Don't worry, we will arrange something when he arrives tomorrow," Partho pacified Bandu.

There was really no solution in sight for Bandu. Samar was bound to interrogate him and dig out the truth that he hid Nand's real identity from the police.

Word spread in the neighborhood that Bandu had returned with his family and close neighbors arrived to meet them. Mother and sister were happy. They had decided to keep Balwant's identity a secret for now and merely mention that the children's father was away for work in a distant land.

The next day Bandu was late to reach the shop as some visitors had dropped in to greet his family. He found Samar slouched on the milestone. On sighting Bandu approach on his cycle, he stood up and began pacing. Bandu got off and parked the bicycle. He came around, retrieving his keys from his pocket to open the door to the shop, all this time trying to ignore Samar's impatience.

"You did not return the same day. Where were you? Were you in some kind of trouble again?" Samar, who had stopped pacing, sounded anxious and angry.

It was not that Bandu was afraid to disclose the truth, but his dilemma was how to present his case. The delay infuriates Samar further.

"Bandu...I asked..." Samar began.

"Yes, Samar, I heard what you asked. I will answer you in a moment. Let me open the shop as I am already late and have lost some of my customers. And as you can see, I am in one piece, so you can be rest assured that I met with no trouble," said Bandu looking up a Samar and flashing him a smile. That smile confused Samar.

"You seem very happy," he commented as he began to dust and arrange the furniture.

"Firstly, I want to apologize that you had to wait for a long time for me yesterday. I never imagined that I would get delayed,"

"What happened?"

"I went to reunite Nand with his family," Bandu said, keeping his voice casual while igniting the stove and keeping the utensil for preparing tea on it.

"Reunite! How did you know where he lived?" Samar stopped midway to watch with curious eyes, Bandu putting tea leaves into the boiling water.

"No, I did not know where his family lived. He, sort of, remembered the place and showed me the way. So I went with him to Guntak. That is where he lived." Bandu said, stirring the tea in the vessel.

"He never mentioned anything to me," Samar commented.

"This happened after you had left us. Nand heard a conductor calling out for passengers to board the bus for Guntak, and that's what grabbed his attention and told me about it. " Bandu said, adding sugar into the tea. It was like adding more lies to make the truth less bitter. He was not happy about misleading someone.

"Well, that was a good thing that happened. I am happy for him. But why were you late?" Samar asked, resuming his work.

Bandu took a quick glance at Samar while stirring the tea to mix the melting sugar.

"It turned out that Nand is my nephew in real," Bandu said, averting his eyes back into the vessel and stirring his tea.

"Nephew!"